The use of lighting devices at airports to illuminate the runways or taxiways is well known. Each lighting device employs a light fixture supported by a base, which may be classified as load bearing or non-load bearing. The typical non-load bearing base includes an open ended base receptacle adapted to be positioned along the runway or taxiway. A sleeve member with a sleeve member passageway allows access into the base receptacle is connected by set screws threaded through its sidewalls to the base receptacle. A threaded flange member is disposed on top of the sleeve member and secured to the sleeve member at its top. The threaded flange member has a thru hole member body with a plurality of removable fixture connecting passageways to which a plurality of mud plate connecting bolts or light fixture connecting bolts are threadedly engaged.
The lighting base is provided along the runway or a taxiway by embedding within the concrete the base receptacle with a mud plate attached. The base receptacle is embedded within the concrete to a depth where the mud plate is positioned at about the same level as the upper surface of the concrete. After the upper surface of the concrete is paved, the paving material, such as tar, is removed above the mud plate and the mud plate removed from the base receptacle by unscrewing the connecting bolts from engagement with the thru hole connecting body. The sleeve member is then moved upwardly until its upper edge is generally aligned with the upper surface of the paving material and fastened in position by rotating the set screws into engagement with the side walls of the base receptacle. After being fastened in position, concrete is used to fill in the space around the raised sleeve member to securely fasten the base in position. A plate to which a light fixture is fastened is then connected by bolts to the threaded flange member.
Since the lighting device is accessible to the weather, rust forms on the bolts. Should it become necessary to replace the light fixture, such as frequently occurs late at night or early in the morning, the bolts must be removed. During removal of the bolts, they are frequently broken. When such bolts break, it becomes necessary to remove the broken bolt from the threaded flange member before the light fixture can be reattached to its base. To remove the broken bolt from the threaded flange member, the broken bolt is drilled out of the removable fixture connecting passageway and such passageway tapped. Since this repair or replacement normally occurs during dark hours and at remote locations along the runway, it is imperative that such replacement be done as quickly as possible in whatever weather conditions.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device that allows a lighting fixture to be quickly and easily repaired or replaced.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device that allows a lighting fixture base to be quickly and easily repaired.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device that is quickly and easily adjusted as to height while such device is being installed along the runway or taxiway.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device that allows a lighting fixture to be quickly and easily repaired or replaced on a preexisting lighting device that has been previously installed along the runway.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device that allows a lighting fixture base to be quickly and easily repaired on a pre-existing lighting device that has been previously installed along the runway or taxiway.